The moving of non-ambulant patients is a serious problem particularly in hospitals, but also elsewhere in the nursing field. In connection with basic care and treatment, it is frequently necessary to lift and move chronic and non-ambulant patients. In many cases, only two nurses take care of the lifting or transport operation. In the worst case, there is only one nurse who does the lifting alone. Then the nurses often have to make allowances with respect to the correct lifting technique. Consequently it is obvious that nurses have remarkably more spinal symptoms and injuries than in many other professions. According to Finnish investigations, the risk among assistant nurses, who lift in average twice as many patients as trained nurses, for becoming disabled because of sciatica is 4.5-fold as compared to trained nurses.
In the prior art there is known, from the Swedish patent publication 406,037, a hauling device for bedpatients, wherein a support frame located above the bed is provided with a pulley as transfer means and a yoke which extends across the bed in the transversal direction. The couch for the patient is attached to the rails provided at the sides of the bed and the patient, which rails in turn are attached to the yoke. By means of the pulley, the yoke and hence the patient lying on the bed can be lifted and moved.
In the prior art there is also known, from the Swedish patent 341,787, a hauling device for patients, wherein a vertical pole serving as the support frame is fastened to the edge of the bed. The support frame also includes a horizontal pole extending to above the bed. The couch is rigid in construction and is placed in the bed under the patient. The transfer means for moving the patient are composed of a hauling device, which is fastened to the end of the horizontal pole. The hauling device comprises an electric motor and a reel whereto the lifting wire is attached. Moreover, the transfer means include an arched frame which is placed transversally above the patient, and the rigid couch is fastened to this arched frame. At its top end, the arched frame is attached to the lifting wire.
One problem with the prior art devices is that the transfer means are placed in connection to the support frame, above the bed and the patient. This increases the load on the support frame, takes up space above the bed and in general makes the operating of the device more difficult.
Another problem with the prior art devices is that the placing of the transfer means, particularly the pulley and the electric motor, is a safety hazard both for the patient and the operating staff.
A further problem in the current devices is that they are instable; the couch and the patient lying on it are attached, by intermediation of the transfer means, to one point of the support frame hanging above the bed. Consequently, when moving a patient, special care must be taken in order to keep the center of gravity in exactly the right spot, so that the patient cannot suddenly roll over to either side on the couch. Such a fastening method is dangerous both for the patient and the operating staff.
Yet another problem with the prior art devices is that various yokes, frames and like members of the transfer means cause difficulties when using the apparatus; the yoke or frame must be separately lifted to above the patient and fastened to the couch and the hauling device proper so that the patient is in balance.
Yet another problem with the prior art devices is that they must be specially installed to the bed whenever they are needed.